Unusual winter California wildfire quelled

While wildfires aren't unusual in California, they are in the winter months. And despite it being a colder-than-usual period for the Golden State, a significant fire recently broke out that took firefighters several days to contain.

According to The Associated Press, a wildfire spanning 311 acres has been brought under control by local firefighters, most of whom are from Riverside County.

As noted by multiple news reports, the fire is believed to have occurred on the last day of February in the vicinity of Rancho Jurupa Regional Park.

While no injuries have resulted from the blaze, it's believed to have affected a small number of homeowners, including a backyard trailer that was within the blaze's ring of fire. The residents of the unit were able to escape unharmed, however.

The AP notes that traditionally, wildfires that affect California are largely due to the strong Santa Ana winds that ramp up in intensity around the late-summer and early-fall. However, they have been known to occur in the winter months as well, and they are believed to have led to the fire spreading. It's not yet known what precipitated the fire, in terms of whether it was intentionally set or was ignited due to overly dry conditions.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, while California may be associated with wildfires the most - and in so doing, tends to affect home insurance rates for the state - Texas is actually the state that sees the highest number of wildfires each year. The National Interagency Coordination Center indicates that the Lone Star State saw 3,470 wildfires in 2011 alone. In 2012, Colorado was another area in which wildfire prevalence was up, much of which took place because of drought.